Calling an audible: IWV Youth Football moves to LeRoy Jackson Park

After last month's budget cuts to the Parks and Recreation department, IWV Youth Football and Cheer was left without a sufficiently sized facility. The youth sports organization was forced to call an audible.

After last month's budget cuts to the Parks and Recreation department, IWV Youth Football and Cheer was left without a sufficiently sized facility. The youth sports organization was forced to call an audible. The Burros now call the fields at LeRoy Jackson Park home, and are working to settle with football season fast approaching.

"We just got tossed out there and had to find a place to go," IWVYFC vice president Robert Look said. "We've done a lot as far as maintaining the complex, and to be kicked to the side is pretty sad. Basically we were forced to either take care of our own fields or relocate to another place."

The budget decision combined with an absence of TAB funds left IWVYFC to pursue the limited options around town as it looked for a new home. Cerro Coso Community College's field was ruled out because of the Coyotes' new soccer program, and Burroughs High didn't work because of the constant use of the school's fields for Burros practices and games.

That left LeRoy Jackson Park, which previously housed the city's youth soccer program. IWVYFC took over the three fields at the park on July 1, and the facility is now known as the IWV Football Fields at the Jackson Sports Complex owned by the County of Kern.

"Part of the deal of coming over here is that we would have to maintain our own fields," Look said. "The irrigation system, the pump, the lights, the trash, the bathrooms – all that is ours."

The organization signed a three-month contract with the city — agreeing to maintain the fields while the city pays for lights — and expects to sign a deal with the county before it takes over the park in October. IWVYFC spent nearly a decade at the Kerr McGee Youth Sports Complex and — along with IWV Youth Baseball — reimbursed the city for utilities and assisted with funding to repair the facility, costs estimated between $5,000 and $10,000 annually.

"We had big plans to expand the facility and it just never transpired the way it was supposed to – the fields got overused and never had a chance to rest," Ponek said. "The football association is getting three fields with excellent lights, and that's going to help their program."

With youth football and cheer taking over the fields at LeRoy Jackson Park, the city's soccer program is temporarily without a place to play. Ponek said the plan is to turn Freedom Park into three soccer fields by Spring 2014, a number he feels is ultimately insufficient.

"We have caused a soccer problem now, because we don't have enough soccer fields. My opinion is that three soccer fields isn't enough — we actually need five — and we are down to none now," Ponek said.

Page 2 of 3 - As for the field left behind at Kerr McGee, Ponek said Parks and Recreation will make repairs so that it can be used for flag football starting in November. At LeRoy Jackson Park, Look said IWVYFC is amenable to sharing its fields in the future with other local youth sports groups.

"We're not trying to take it over," Look said. "We're here for the kids, and the more kids we can get playing sports — it doesn't matter what it is — they're better off and this whole community is better off."

Once IWVYFC secured its new location, a sizable effort from the organization's board members and local volunteers has helped with its move into LeRoy Jackson Park. For the past two weeks, they have moved trailers, mowed and laid seed on the fields and made necessary improvements to the concession stand and bathrooms.

"We've been taking days off from work to be out here," said Look, who estimated that eight of the board members put in approximately 60 hours each at the fields this past week.

Look himself took three days off from his job this week to work at the park, and equipment manager Gerald Armendariz took the entire week off. Among the volunteer contributions, Bertrand's RV Park and Roger Begin helped move the four equipment trailers and Brian Sonnenberg (Greenscape) put the new sod in and is operating the irrigation system.

The goalposts, currently laying on the field at Kerr McGee, are expected to be moved next weekend. For that installation, James Bell donated his Bobcat, auger bit, cement mixer and poles to set the goalposts, and Dan Stafford is making steel ground sleeves that would have cost more than $1,000.

"We came together and had a meeting with the coaches and the board members and told them what the situation was," Look said. "With the help of the community, everybody came together and so far no money has come out of the league's budget getting all this stuff done."

Though the new location offers more space and lights, the football fields are currently without a scoreboard. Look said that any community member or organization that wanted to help with the roughly $7,000 cost involved in purchasing the scoreboard and installation equipment would get their name on the board.

IWVYFC is completing its move in time for its football and cheer camp, which will be held next Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. The football camp will teach posture and the correct way to tackle and block — focusing on the safety aspect of the game — and the cheer camp will teach basic cheers and stunting.

"It's free to everyone, whether they've signed up already, they are thinking about playing or they just want to try it," Look said.

Page 3 of 3 - Football and cheer practices start July 22, and the Burros kick off the season on Aug. 24. Look said he is hoping the sod will take before the start of the season.

"Community support is the only way this is possible," Look said. "The board members have been out here for the past two weeks getting this field in shape."